Meylisah was the daughter of a past maid and best friend of Hurrem sultan. When her parents tragically died she was taken under Hurrem sultan's wing to be cared for. Not really adopted for it was forbidden in Islam but she was just glad to have a ro...
"Sultanim, his highness has gone out on a hunting trip" Handan bowed to me. I nodded swaying a sleeping Murad from side to side. I kneeled down in front of his bed and laid him down in it, I covered his small body before standing back up.
"Did he say if he will be staying for long?" I asked softly to not disturb the sleeping baby. I sat down on my couch raising my feet on it to get comfortable, my feet has started to ache from the extra weight growing inside of me.
"He will be back shortly, it won't be a long hunting trip" I nodded and signaled for her to go stay by Murad's side. She bowed before bringing a pillow and placed it beside the bed and sat down beside it swaying it lightly to help the baby inside of it fall asleep.
The doors opened again and a maid ran in barely bowing to me. I raised my eyebrow and raised my eyebrow in confusion. I'm not going to ask how dare she runs in like this because no one would dare if it wasn't urgent.
"What is it Naime Hatun?" I asked sitting up and placing my feet back down on the floor. The book I had planned to read sat beside me forgotten.
"Sultanim there has been an accident in the harem" She panted. I stood up and filled a cup with water from the jug beside me on the table. I gave it to her so she can drink some.
"Thank you, something went wrong with the heat of the hmam waters and some maids have been burned by the water," She said. My heart stopped at the information, poor maids, burns were one of the worst injuries there are.
"Did someone die?" I asked fearfully. She shook her head, relief washed over me like a warm blanket.
"Handan stay with Murad. Naime show me to the girls" I ordered. Naime bowed and led the way out of my room and to the infirmary in the palace. When I walked in all I could hear was the groaning of the three injured maids.
"Afife Hatun's injuries are the worst, she burned half her face" The doctor informed me. She pointed to the maid with her whole face covered with bandages. Another doctor gave her a medicine that will help her fall asleep so she won't feel her pain for much longer.
"Sirin Hatun's injuries are in her hands, she got burned helping Afife" The doctor and I moved on to the second bed where a blonde maid sat up with her hands bandaged up to her elbows.
"May Allah heals you, hatun" I smiled at her angelic face. She nodded her head before she too was given a medicine that will help with the pain.
"The third maid is Rana Hatun, her injuries are her back and legs," The doctor said. Rana was already sleeping with a pained frown on her face.
"Let them be here as long as needed and take good care of them" I ordered the doctors before walking back out not wanting to see this tragedy any longer. A maid was standing outside of the door with her head down not showing her face to me, probably shy.
"Make sure to give the girls gifts and I will pay for all of the medicines they may need," I said to Naime as we walked down the harem back to my room. Handan was still sat beside Murad's bed with a frown on her face but she immediately masked it when I walked in with a fake smile.
"Naime, leave us alone" I ordered. Naime bowed and walked back out of the room. I walked closer to Handan and sat down on the bed beside her so she was sat beside my feet with Murad's bed in front of me.
"Tell me Handan, what is troubling you?" I asked locking my hands in front of me on my lap. She gulped a little and looked up at me with fearful eyes, it looked like she was thinking really hard that sweat started to run down her temple.
"It's nothing Sultanim," She said bowing her head shamefully. I placed my hand atop hers on Murad's bed making her jump and look at me wide-eyed.
"My maids' comfort is one of the important things to me, I want them all to be happy and comfortable, so tell me what is bothering you?" I asked again. She looked down thinking her words thoroughly.
"It's nothing, I promise," She said again shaking her head. I sighed defeated, there was no getting through to this girl. I removed my hand from her as the doors opened and Naime walked in and bowed to me.
"When you decide I'm worth the information you know where I am," I said to Handan who looked down in shame.
"Sultanim, his highness is back and wants you to go to his chamber" Naime informed throwing an uncertain glare Handan's way. I nodded standing up and walked out of my room. When I walked down the harem I could hear the whispers of the maids about their burned friends. I walked into Selim's room and bowed to him, he was with Gazanfer in the room alone.
"You called me" I stated standing tall in front of him. Selim nodded for Gazanfer to leave us alone, Gazanfer bowed to the both of us before leaving the room.
"What happened in the harem?" He asked standing up from his couch and walked over to me and locked his hands behind his back.
"The waters heaters made a mistake causing the water to come out boiling hot and burned some of the maids," I said. I knew Selim will open an investigation just in case there was someone behind this.
"What if they had meant to burn you or me?" Selim asked. I sighed, he was right, there was a huge possibility of this.
"Maybe, I mean you went hunting and need a bath after and I've been bathing a lot because of the pregnancy sweats," I said walking over to his couch and sat down feeling my feet ache from standing up for too long.
"I will order Gazanfer to start an investigation," Selim said walking over to me and sat down beside me. I took his hands in between mine and looked up at him with my puppy eyes that I knew he couldn't resist.
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"No, I don't trust him, it would be better if you assign Davud Pasha, the head of your guard, he has more experience than Gazanfer with this type of matter" I could see his thoughts running around behind his eyes. He looked me for a second in the eyes before nodding his head making me grin.
